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Presidential Memorandum Boosts Federal Energy Management

December 11, 2013 - 12:00am

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President Obama on December 5 signed a memorandum directing the federal government to consume 20% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020 - more than double the current level. In 2009, the president directed the federal government to become a leader in clean energy and energy efficiency when he signed Executive Order 13514 on Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance. The federal government has already reduced greenhouse gas emissions by more than 15% from fiscal year (FY) 2008 levels, reduced energy use per square foot in federal buildings by more than 9% since FY 2008, and consumed more than 7% of its electricity from renewable energy sources such as solar and wind in FY 2013. The Presidential Memorandum implements the goal the President outlined in his June 2013 Climate Action Plan that challenged federal agencies to more than double their renewable electricity consumption by 2020. As part of this effort, agencies will identify formerly contaminated lands, landfills, and mine sites to target for renewable energy projects, providing valuable opportunities to return those lands to productive use. To improve agencies' ability to manage energy consumption and reduce costs, the Memorandum directs them to use Green Button, a tool developed by industry in response to a White House call-to-action that provides utility customers easy and secure access to their energy usage information in a consumer-friendly format. See the White House fact sheet and the Presidential Memorandum.